Here’s how the Renault Kwid stacks up against its rivals on paper.

Unlike its immediate rivals, the Renault Kwid looks more like a crossover than a hatchback with its high bonnet and waistline, and ground clearance of 180mm. However, competing against the likes of the popular Maruti Alto 800 and the Hyundai Eon won’t be an easy task, considering their brand value and widespread dealer network. With respect to the basic technical details, this is how the Kwid fares against the Alto 800 and the Eon on paper.

Under the hood

The Renault Kwid is powered by a 799cc three-cylinder petrol engine. This motor makes a maximum of 53.2bhp and 7.3kgm of torque and is mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

The Maruti Alto 800 gets driven by a 796cc engine which is good for 47bhp and 7.03kgm of torque and comes with a five-speed manual transmission.

In comparison, the Hyundai Eon's 814cc engine makes peak power of 54bhp and 7.6kgm of torque and is mated to a five-speed manual transmission.

Dimensions

The Renault Kwid measures 3,679mm in length and 1,579mm in width. On the other hand, the Alto 800 has a length of 3,395mm and a width of 1,490mm. The Eon is 3,495mm long and 1,550mm wide. Dimension-wise, the Kwid is the longest and widest of the trio, which could indicate a reasonable amount of space on the inside.

In terms of ground clearance too, the Kwid leads at 180mm – a segment first. The Eon comes in second at 170mm, while the Alto 800 offers the lowest at 160mm. 

The Kwid also gets the biggest boot space in its segment at 300 litres while the Eon and the Alto 800 offer 215 litres and 177 litres respectively.

Features

The Kwid's top RXT trim is expected to get a first-in-segment, seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, with four speakers along with radio, CD, USB, Aux and Bluetooth compatibility. It is likely to get an all-digital dashboard with a large readout at the centre that displays the cruising speed. It is flanked by the fuel gauge on the right and other warning indicators on the left. Additionally, it will come equipped with the basic necessities such as power steering, front power windows, air conditioning and central locking. There's also keyless entry and a navigation system. 

The top-spec VXi trim of the Maruti also gets equipment like power steering, front power windows, air conditioning and central locking. Unlike the Kwid, it gets a basic two-speaker audio system with radio, USB and Aux compatibility. However, it gets tubeless tyres and offers a driver airbag as a paid option.

Just like the top Alto 800 trim, the Eon Sportz trim too gets a basic two-speaker audio system with radio, USB and Aux compatibility. But it also comes equipped with keyless entry, driver airbag and tilt adjustable steering.

The Renault Kwid is likely to be a strong contender in this segment. Its biggest strength will be its crossover-like styling which will appeal to buyers. Comparing the features on paper, it is evident that the Kwid wins against the Alto 800 and Eon, which gives it an additional advantage.

Courtesy : Autocar

The long wait for the much-awaited new-generation Ford Figo has finally come to an end. The American carmaker Ford today rolled out the car in India at a starting price of Rs. 4.29 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Sharing most of its design elements, features, and engine options with the Aspire, the new-gen Figo definitely looks more upmarket than before. With the first-in-class 6 airbags, dual-clutch automatic transmission, and the most powerful engine lineup, the Figo is also the most feature-loaded car in its league.

One must note, the Maruti Suzuki Swift's price starts at Rs. 4.64 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), which makes the Ford Figo hatchback cheaper by about Rs. 35,000.

Just like the Aspire, the new-gen Figo too features the company's new signature grille with four horizontal slats, sweptback head-lights, underlining body-coloured bumper, etc. In fact, the Figo's side profile also looks similar to that of the Aspire till the rear wheel arch. With that being said, it's the rear profile that helps the two Ford cars look different. The Figo gets a hatch and wrap-around tail-lamps.

Also Read: Ford Figo Aspire vs Maruti Swift Dzire - Comparison Review

Since the the new-generation Ford Figo is inspired by its sub-4m sedan sibling, its interior also look identical to that of the Aspire with features such as three-spoke steering wheel with silver accents, steering mounted controls, and a 4.2-inch SYNC multimedia infotainment system among others. However, unlike the Aspire's dual-tone scheme, the Ford Figo gets an all-black cabin instead.

The New Ford Figo also shares its engine and transmission lineup with the Aspire. While the diesel variants feature a 1.5-litre TDCi unit (99bhp) mated to a 5-speed manual gearbox, it gets a choice of 2 petrol engines - a 1.2-litre TiVCT (87bhp) with a 5-speed manual and a 1.5-litre TiVCT (110bhp) with a 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox.

Just like its sub-compact sedan sibling, the new Ford Figo too gets 6 airbags, anti-lock braking system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), electrically adjustable ORVMs, height adjustable driver seat and other provisions.

New Ford Figo Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi)

Petrol

1.2-litre Base: Rs. 4.29 lakh

1.2-litre Ambiente: Rs. 4.56 lakh

1.2-litre Trend: Rs. 5 lakh

1.2-litre Trend+: Rs. 5.25 lakh

1.2-litre Titanium: Rs. 5.75 lakh

1.2-litre Titanium+: Rs. 6.40 lakh

1.5-litre (AT) Titanium: Rs. 6.91 lakh

Diesel

1.5-litre Base: Rs. 5.29 lakh

1.5-litre Ambiente: Rs. 5.62 lakh

1.5-litre Trend: Rs. 5.97 lakh

1.5-litre Trend+: Rs. 6.22 lakh

1.5-litre Titanium: Rs. 6.72 lakh

1.5-litre Titanium+: Rs. 7.40 lakh

New Ford Figo Mileage Figures

1.2-litre Ti-VCT petrol - 18.16km/l
1.5-litre TDCi diesel - 25.83km/l

Colour Options - Ruby Red, Sparkling Gold, Oxford White, Tuxedo Black, Deep Impact Blue, Ignot Silver, and Smoke Grey.

Courtesy :  NDTV Car

The Bajaj RE60 weighs 400kg; fuel efficiency figure of 35kpl expected.

Bajaj Auto is set to launch the RE60 in India on September 25, 2015. The RE60 quadricycle is powered by a rear-mounted, water-cooled, 216cc single-cylinder DTSi petrol engine mated to a four-speed manual gearbox, and is good for a top speed of 70kph. As per Bajaj's claim, the R60 is said to deliver fuel efficiency of 35 kpl. The company will also offer CNG and LPG versions.

Measuring 2.75m in length, and 1.3m in width, the RE60 weighs a nifty 400kg with a turning radius of 3.5m. Bajaj's quadricycle will be available in a 2+2 or 1+3 seating layout, and offer 44 litres of boot space.

Revealed first at the Indian Auto Expo 2012, the RE60 was originally slated for launch last October. But a slew of PILs filed against the vehicle resulted in a delay. The Government of India has now classified the RE60 as a subset of the Light Commercial Vehicle segment, called the ‘quadricycle’.

In India, Bajaj expects the RE60 to be a safer alternative to the auto rickshaw, and is also considering exporting the vehicle to overseas markets.

Courtesy : Autocar

The AMT gearbox is offered on the Celerio and the Alto K10.

Maruti Suzuki has announced that sales of the AMT-equipped models in its India line-up have crossed 50,000 units. The carmaker calls it Auto Gear Shift (AGS) technology, and first introduced it in the Celerio hatchback. The second model to get the AMT gearbox was the Alto K10. The carmaker also claimed that vehicles equipped with AGS accounted for 25 percent of sales of the Celerio and Alto K10 put together.

Ever since the AMT was introduced in cheap breitling replica watches India, its popularity has been on the rise. It offers customers the increased convenience of an automatic, without taking too much of a toll on the fuel efficiency delivered, or in terms of maintenance costs. Which is the reason why more number of cars are likely to get this affordable automatic gearbox.

Apart from Maruti planning to launch a few more AGS models, Tata and Mahindra too have joined the cheap swiss fake watches AMT bandwagon with the Zest and the recently launched TUV300 respectively.

Courtesy : Autocar